Why Indian-origin Congressman Shri Thanedar wants to abolish ICE after fatal Minnesota shooting

Thanedar’s push to dismantle ICE

Anger over the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) enforcement methods has intensified in the United States following the fatal shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis last week. As controversy grows around the killing and the wider immigration crackdown in Minnesota, Indian-origin Congressman Shri Thanedar has moved to introduce legislation aimed at dismantling the agency, calling it “beyond reform”.

Thanedar announced the proposed Abolish ICE Act on January 9, two days after Good’s death. His office formally initiated the legislative process on Thursday, January 15. The bill will now be examined by the Ways and Means Committee, the Homeland Security Committee and the Judiciary Committee, according to a report in Hindustan Times.

What the Abolish ICE Act proposes

According to Thanedar’s official website, the Abolish ICE Act seeks to dismantle “ICE and end its current enforcement authority”, arguing that aggressive deportation practices should be replaced with approaches grounded in due process and the rule of law.

The legislation notes that immigration enforcement existed before ICE was created in 2003 and says those responsibilities could be reassigned to other federal bodies, including the Department of Homeland Security. If passed, the agency would be formally dissolved within 90 days, according to media reports.

Explaining his position, Thanedar said, “since ICE’s establishment in 2003, they’ve prioritised aggressive enforcement and violence rather than due process. Americans are being terrorised. Last year, I introduced legislation to end qualified immunity for ICE agents, ensuring they are held accountable when they break the law.”

He added that the killing of Renee Good marked a turning point, “but the killing of Renee Nicole Good proved that ICE is out of control and beyond reform. We must fundamentally change the way we approach immigration: it’s time to abolish ICE.”

Thanedar has argued that ICE has increasingly operated outside legal norms since President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem took office. His office said the agency has been “weaponised to inflict terror and hysteria amongst American immigrant and non-immigrant communities”, with aggressive deployments in major cities spreading fear.

At a press conference on January 14, Thanedar was quoted by The Times of India as saying, “we need to make ICE go away. We don’t need murderers. We do not need this paramilitary organisation’s members on our streets terrorising US citizens and immigrants alike.”

Calls for impeachment and political backlash

Thanedar is also backing efforts to impeach Secretary Kristi Noem. In a statement released on January 14 and cited by Financial Express, he said, “secretary Kristi Noem has lied to Congress and to the American people. Under her leadership, ICE agents have wreaked havoc on communities across this country. She has disgraced our democracy.”

He added that Noem should “face the consequences and be impeached.”

The move has triggered fierce backlash from Trump allies and MAGA supporters. Several commentators targeted Thanedar personally, questioning his background and mocking his accent.

Nick Sortor wrote on X, “Indian Rep. Shri Thanedar, who can barely even speak English, announces he’s introducing a bill to ABOLISH ICE. Tell this foreigner to go pound sand. REAL Americans back ICE and ICE’s mission. And honestly, I’d back ICE deporting this loser, too.”

Eric Daugherty posted, “Conservatives are demanding the expulsion and DEPORTATION of Indian Rep. Shri Thanedar (D) after he just announced legislation to ABOLISH ICE. The dude can barely speak our freaking language while pulling this stunt. SEND HIM BACK!”

Support from Democrats and public opinion

Despite the backlash, Thanedar has drawn support from within his party. Congressman Ro Khanna backed the proposal, telling The Hill:

“We should not be giving money for an increase in the ICE budget. We should be fighting this.”

Ilhan Omar, who represents the district where Renee Good was killed, described ICE as an “occupying force” and accused the agency of operating in a “lawless” manner.

Public opinion remains divided. A Economist/YouGov poll released on January 13 found that 46 per cent of respondents supported ending ICE, while 43 per cent opposed the idea.

A long-standing Trump critic

Thanedar has been a consistent critic of Donald Trump. Last April, he introduced seven articles of impeachment against the president, though he later withdrew them. During a December 2025 hearing, he again accused Kristi Noem of “lying to the American people”.

He has also been a vocal supporter of the H-1B visa programme and higher levels of legal immigration, arguing that sectors such as technology rely heavily on skilled immigrants. At a bipartisan AI hearing last year, he said:

“Trump’s second term has been all about hatred for immigrants, but the reality is that the tech sector is heavily dependent on skilled immigrants.”

Trump, for his part, has publicly dismissed Thanedar, calling the Michigan congressman a “lunatic” at a public event.

Who is Shri Thanedar?

Born in Karnataka, Shri Thanedar moved to the United States in 1979. He earned a PhD in chemistry from the University of Akron and became a US citizen in 1988. He later founded a pharmaceutical company in Michigan, according to American Bazaar.

After an unsuccessful run for Michigan governor in 2018, he entered the state legislature and was elected to the US House of Representatives in 2022 from Michigan’s 13th Congressional District. Thanedar is the first Indian-American elected to Congress from Michigan and the fifth Indian-American overall in the House.

(With inputs from agencies)